Congratulations to Donald Trump: This is the first reaction of the US Bishops’ Conference after the presidential election.
Christian voters contributed significantly to Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election. Post-election polls show the Republican with 54 percent nationwide…
The President of the US Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, makes it clear in an interview with us that the Church expects the next administration to protect human life – and to reform immigration law.
“We in the United States are fortunate to live in a democracy… I congratulate President Trump and the national, state and local officials who served on the campaign… We are pleased with our ability to facilitate a peaceful transition from one government to the next.”
“Peaceful transition from one government to the next”
As is well known, the transition four years ago was not that peaceful: at the beginning of 2021, Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in Washington while Joe Biden’s election victory was being officially certified.
“The Catholic Church is not allied with any political party, and neither is the Bishops’ Conference. No matter who sits in the White House or has the majority on Capitol Hill, the Church’s teaching remains unchanged. We bishops look forward to working with the elected representatives of the people to promote the common good of all. As Christians and as Americans, we have a duty to treat one another with charity, respect and civility, even though we may disagree on issues of public policy.”
Donald Trump won the elections: the former is also the future President of the USA. What are the church reactions to this?
“Charity, respect and courtesy”
Charity, respect and politeness – that doesn’t necessarily sound like a personal description of the newly elected president. Broglio has already hidden a few appeals in his congratulations to Trump.
“As a nation blessed with many gifts, we must also care for those beyond our borders and be ready to offer help to all. Let us pray for President-elect Trump and all public leaders to fulfill the responsibilities entrusted to them and serve our country and those they represent.”
The election winner
The issue of protecting life also affects migrants
It is now about “preserving the common good of all and promoting the dignity of the human person, especially the weakest among us”. The archbishop lists: “The unborn, the poor, the strangers, the old and sick and the migrants”. In the fight against abortion, US Catholics know that Trump and his Republicans are on their side – but not so much when it comes to fighting for migrants.
“Basically, our primary concern is of course the dignity of the human person. We like the formulation that from the womb to the grave, man is created in the image and likeness of the Almighty. So that’s a major concern.”
An “immensely rich country” must take care of its poorest
But the next concern of the chairman of the bishops’ conference is that the USA lives up to its social-political responsibility – after all, it is an “immensely rich country”. Like Pope Francis, for Broglio protecting life is not synonymous with fighting abortion, but rather means commitment to the poor and needy.
“We are very, very blessed (materially), and we have to take care of the needs of the poor, those who are on the margins of society. It is shocking to see the number of people in some of our major cities who are without a home, without shelter. I think we all have a responsibility to address these issues and try to address them at the root. Furthermore, as bishops we have been advocating for immigration reform in this country for decades. And I hope that something can really be done now to correct a system that is broken and to try to make it more responsive to people’s needs.”
It was Trump who allowed a bipartisan reform of immigration law to fail – out of the correct feeling that the issue of migrants would give him a boost in the election campaign. The calculation worked. In March, the now-elect even said that immigrants without papers were “not people”.
“This would mean our responsibility to help the countries from which people immigrate, because they often immigrate because of poverty and other difficult situations in their home countries. The most productive way to change this would probably be to help these countries improve their own fortunes.”
“A challenge for us”
One aspect of this election concerns the ten states that voted on issues related to abortion. Voters in three states – South Dakota, Florida and Nebraska – voted to limit abortion options; However, seven states voted to liberalize abortion rights.
“The national trend – you mentioned the seven states that have passed laws liberalizing abortion – of course presents a challenge for us, not only for the bishops in those states, but also for the U.S. bishops’ conference, because we want that Would continue to put the human person first. When we look at the violence in our society, I don’t think it has anything to do with the fact that people act as if they can decide who gets to live or when someone gets to die. I think this also degrades the dignity of the human person. So we have a responsibility to educate people and try to persuade them to see the light of the gospel.”
The interview with Archbishop Broglio was conducted by Devin Watkins.
(vatican news – sk)
